Levi Brown | Quarterback

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The Buccaneers worked out free agent QBs Levi Brown and Brett Ratliff on Tuesday.

Ratliff was signed to the practice squad. It's still very early in the week, but this could be an indication the Bucs don't consider Josh Freeman (shoulder) a slam-dunk to return against the Jaguars. A seventh-round pick of the Bills in 2010, Brown was waived by Buffalo after a disappointing preseason. Tue, Dec 6, 2011 10:23:00 PM

Brown's fate was likely sealed when the Bills announced Brad Smith would be listed as a QB on game days, but he was given a chance to make an impression for a full half last evening. Instead, Brown completed 7-of-15 passes for 53 yards and an interception against the bottom of the Bears' depth chart. The Bills can move forward with Smith and Tyler Thigpen behind Ryan Fitzpatrick. Sun, Aug 14, 2011 11:10:00 AM

Bills GM Buddy Nix says he plans to add two quarterbacks to the 80-man roster before the season.

Nix indicated that one would be a veteran and the other probably an undrafted rookie. Bills.com writer Chris Brown anticipates a "lesser name" than someone like Kevin Kolb. Coach Chan Gailey has history with free agents Tyler Thigpen and Brodie Croyle. Some of the top UDFA quarterbacks are Pat Devlin, Adam Froman, Ben Chappell, Scott Tolzien, and Jerrod Johnson. Sun, May 22, 2011 04:35:00 PM

Brown came in late to replace the ineffective Brian Brohm and showed nice velocity on his first two throws. The third looked to be a miscommunication with his wide receiver that led to an easy interception. He remains a fringe developmental product. Sun, Jan 2, 2011 05:16:00 PM

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Brown's fate was likely sealed when the Bills announced Brad Smith would be listed as a QB on game days, but he was given a chance to make an impression for a full half last evening. Instead, Brown completed 7-of-15 passes for 53 yards and an interception against the bottom of the Bears' depth chart. The Bills can move forward with Smith and Tyler Thigpen behind Ryan Fitzpatrick.

Bills GM Buddy Nix says he plans to add two quarterbacks to the 80-man roster before the season.

Nix indicated that one would be a veteran and the other probably an undrafted rookie. Bills.com writer Chris Brown anticipates a "lesser name" than someone like Kevin Kolb. Coach Chan Gailey has history with free agents Tyler Thigpen and Brodie Croyle. Some of the top UDFA quarterbacks are Pat Devlin, Adam Froman, Ben Chappell, Scott Tolzien, and Jerrod Johnson.

Brown came in late to replace the ineffective Brian Brohm and showed nice velocity on his first two throws. The third looked to be a miscommunication with his wide receiver that led to an easy interception. He remains a fringe developmental product.

Coach Chan Gailey made the determination that he wasn't going to turn back to Trent Edwards after Ryan Fitzpatrick's Week 3 performance. Gailey will carry the seventh-round pick as a developmental quarterback instead, pushing Brian Brohm into the No. 2 role.

With Trent Edwards no longer around, the Bills are planning on bringing back QB Levi Brown, according to ESPN's Adam Schefter.

The Bills got rid of the seventh-round pick at the last round of cuts and didn't even offer him a spot on the practice squad, but evidently he's good enough now. Brown will serve as the No. 3 quarterback behind Ryan Fitzpatrick and Brian Brohm.

Bills seventh-round pick Levi Brown, waived by the team on Saturday, revealed on Twitter Sunday that the team did not extend him an offer for the Buffalo practice squad.

Brown really must not have impressed the coaches in practice. He never did put any heat on Brian Brohm for the third quarterback job. "NEVER would've guessed I'd be in this position right now ... not even a practice squad invite," he tweeted. "I've now officially gone from surprised to pissed!"

It's a move that was expected. Coach Chan Gailey was impressed with Brown's raw abilities, but he's nothing more than a developmental project at this point. He'll end up on the practice squad as the Bills' fourth QB if he clears waivers.

Rookie Levi Brown has consistently been No. 4 in the pecking order among Bills quarterbacks at offseason practices.

Trent Edwards and Ryan Fitzpatrick have been 1-2, and Brian Brohm has been No. 3. While Brown remains just as likely to be Buffalo's long-term QB answer as the rest of the motley crew, he hasn't appeared to make much progress during OTAs. The situation will be one to monitor from afar in camp.

Bills signed seventh-round QB Levi Brown to a four-year, $1.86 million contract with $69,000 guaranteed.

The Bills reportedly had a "pretty high draft grade" on the Troy star. Although he's on the outside looking in at the quarterback competition this summer, he could see time late in the season once the other three flame out. The Bills still seem likely to upgrade at the position next offseason.

Brown is athletic, well built (6'3/229), and ripped up the Sun Belt en route to conference player of the year honors last season, but lacks ideal arm strength and played in the Trojans' shotgun-only offense. He also couldn't beat out Stacy Tutt (converted to fullback in the pros, now out of the league) or Eric Ward (no NFL prospects) early in his career at Richmond before transferring. We do like the fit in Buffalo, though. Brown's skill set is similar to Tyler Thigpen's, who Bills coach Chan Gailey turned into an 18-touchdown passer down the stretch of '08. Keep an eye on this one.

Depth Charts

Bills GM Doug Whaley said he does not want to see rookie QB Cardale Jones get any snaps this season.

"That would mean something terrible happened," Whaley said. The GM was noncommittal on Tyrod Taylor's future with the team, but the reality is the Bills do not have any other options. Jones is a fourth-round project who struggled with inaccuracy in camp, and there is zero chance the Bills will feel comfortable handing him the keys next season. With backup E.J. Manuel headed to free agency, Jones could serve as the No. 2 next year.

LeSean McCoy rushed 17 times for 130 yards in the Bills' 38-24, Week 13 loss to the Raiders.

McCoy wasn't just a threat on the ground; he also led the Bills with seven catches for 61 yards on seven targets. With Robert Woods, Charles Clay, and Percy Harvin all missing this one, McCoy had to take on a bigger pass-game role behind a less-than-100-percent Sammy Watkins and Marquise Goodwin. McCoy's fantasy owners surely would have preferred he score at least one of the two touchdowns backup Mike Gillislee scored one and two yards out. McCoy was still able to get "his" and again opened the third quarter with a monster 54-yard run after coming out of halftime with a 75-yard touchdown run last week. McCoy will be an elite RB1 next week against the Steelers.

Bills coach Rex Ryan said Sammy Watkins (foot) and Robert Woods (knee) will be "ready to roll" Week 14 against the Steelers.

Both were listed as questionable, but there really is not much doubt about either's status. Watkins will be an upside WR3 play as his snap share continues to grow, and Woods will be a low-ceiling WR4 against the Steelers.

Goodwin entered this one with a minor wrist issue, but he ended up leading all Bills receivers in snaps with Robert Woods (knee) and Percy Harvin (illness) out. His eight targets were second-most to Sammy Watkins' nine. Goodwin hasn't done much in recent weeks. He'll be a WR4 next week against the Steelers.

He's done for the year. The Bills talked Harvin out of retirement in early November, only for Harvin to appear in just two games and eventually suffer another bout of migraines. At age 28, Harvin's career is once again in doubt.

Bills WR Brandon Tate left Sunday's Week 8 game against the Patriots and is being evaluated for a concussion.

He hauled in two-of-three targets for 17 yards and rushed once for 14 yards before exiting early in the third quarter. With Marquise Goodwin (concussion) out and Robert Woods playing through a foot injury, the Bills' receiving corps is paper thin right now.

Charles Clay will not play Week 13 against the Raiders due to the expected birth of his child.

Clay did not travel with the team to Oakland on Saturday, and it does not look like he will make the trip on his own. Clay has not contributed much this year, but the Bills are dangerously short of pass catchers. Sammy Watkins may be forced into more snaps than Buffalo would otherwise like to see.

Bills GM Doug Whaley said he would be disappointed if Cyrus Kouandjio did not win the right tackle job.

A 2014 second-round pick, Kouandjio entered his first two offseasons as the favorite to start at right tackle, but he lost out both times to Seantrel Henderson. With Henderson battling Crohn's disease, Kouandjio should get another shot this year, but he is second-favorite to Jordan Mills for the job. The Buffalo News has called this a "make-or-break" year for Kouandjio's Bills career.

It's the former starter's second substance-abuse suspension of the season. Henderson said he smokes marijuana for pain relief from his Crohn's disease. Cyrus Kouandjio will finish out the year as Buffalo's swing tackle. Henderson is signed for $690,000 next season. Any time a player earns a 10-game substance-abuse ban, their career is in doubt.